Potomac - The Connection Newspapers

Week in Potomac
Correction
The caption for the photo above, from last week’s
Almanac, “At Whitman’s Prom,” was incorrect. The
pictured couple should have been identified as Paul
Kominers and Nikki Massoud.
Potomac Watershed Summit
On Tuesday, June 17, from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., the 3rd Annual
Potomac Watershed Trash Summit will be held at the World Bank
in Washington, D.C. This event provides a venue for congressional,
state and local elected officials, citizens and youth leadership to
collaborate on strategies to eliminate trash from our waterways,
communities, streets and public lands – including regional public
policy, model Best Management Practices, business actions, and
public education. For more information and to register go to: http:/
/www.hardbargainfarm.org/trash_initiative/
TrashSummitAnnounce08.pdf
C&O Urges Caution in Storms
The National Park Service is issuing an advisory recommending
that during periods of high wind park visitors exercise extra
caution when walking or biking on the towpath and trails in C&O
Canal National Historical Park. “Our staff has worked diligently
to clear trees brought down by the recent storm so that at least a
narrow lane on the towpath is passable,” Superintendent Kevin
Brandt said. “The storm however left many large branches in the
forest canopy that could fall during periods of high wind.”
The National Park Service estimates between 400 and 500 trees
fell across the towpath and park trails as a result of the storm last
Wednesday. Park maintenance crews have been assessed the damage
and worked throughout the weekend to clear the debris.
Council To Interview Candidates
The Montgomery County Council has set interview dates with
12 applicants seeking to fill two vacancies on the Montgomery
County Planning Board.
The term of Allison Bryant, a Republican, will expire on June
14. Bryant has served two terms and is not eligible for reappointment.
The other vacancy was created by the death of board member
Eugene Lynch, a Democrat, on Jan. 31. Lynch’s term will expire
on June 14, 2011.
Interviews are open for public observation. They will be conducted
at the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in
Rockville. The interview schedule is as follows: On Thursday, June
12, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Patrick Ryan, Benjamin Ross, Gerald Roper,
Goldie Rivkin, Cary Lamari and Marye Wells Harley will be interviewed
in half hour intervals in the preceding order. On Thursday,
June 19, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Carol Placek, Alan S. Bowser,
Joseph Alfandre, Paula Bienenfeld and Amy Presley will be interviewed
in half hour intervals in the preceding order. On Tuesday,
June 24, William Mooney will be interviewed either at 8:30 or
9:30 a.m.
Members serve four-year terms and are limited to two full terms.
The positions can be filled by a Democrat; a Republican; a voter
who declines to affiliate with a party; or by a member of another
party officially recognized by the Montgomery County Board of
Elections.
People
Getting to Know …
DeLawrence Beard
Retired judge DeLawrence Beard was the
first African American appointed to the
Montgomery County Circuit Court and
served as the Chief Judge for the last 10
years before retiring in January. He is a Potomac resident.
What community are you a member of,
what brought you to it and how long have
you been here?
I live in Potomac and my wife Lillian and I have
lived in Potomac since 1971 but we moved to Montgomery
County in 1969. I came here to obtain a legal
education and attend law school. I had been to
Washington previously when I was in the service.
Family:
I met my wife through a mutual friend and we
met in 1966 and got married in 1967 and last year
we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary and renewed
our vows in Hawaii.
Where did you get your education and in
what areas?
I attended the University of Missouri in Columbia
and I got a BA with a major in political science. Then
I moved to the D.C. area in 1965 and got a job as a
salesman with IBM. I got my law degree form the
University of Baltimore in 1970 and I got a master’s
of Law from Georgetown University Law Center in
1977. My wife and I graduated at the same time.
How would you describe yourself?
I’m not very much on introspection. That’s a hard
task. I would describe myself as being very lucky. It
has been my good fortune to have a number of friends
and colleagues who have always been a source of
encouragement and support.
What do you consider to be your biggest
achievements?
My professional goals wouldn’t have been obtainable
without getting through law school. Otherwise
I really don’t know. I don’t think I’ve done anything
earth shattering but I have met with a certain amount
of professional success. I’d rather rely on other
people’s evaluation of my successful.
Activities/interests/hobbies?
I don’t really have a hobby but I do like to read a
lot of things that are related to the profession, biographical
books or historical matters. My favorite
music is jazz.
Favorite local restaurant or place in the
community?
The one that my wife and I use to go to was
Kincaids downtown. They’re closed for remodeling.
We use to like to go to Flaps because it was a readily
accessible, friendly, good food place that was great
to go to.
What would you change about your community
if you could?
I’ve seen a number of changes in the area that I
think on balance they’ve been for the better but with
the growth comes a little traffic, but it’s tolerable
and it’s just a little aggravation. I like the area. The
way it looks. Most of the people who I come in contact
with have a general feeling of civility and friendship.
DeLawrence Beard
Who is a historical figure you would like
to meet?
There is no body that stands out. There are a number
of historical figures that I’ve thought about from
time to time to talk to about what they did with their
lives. I can give you three people that I would love
to talk to. One would be Frederick Douglass then
Abraham Lincoln and probably Alexander the Great.
What community “hidden treasure” do
you think more people should know
about?
Nope. I can’t think of any hidden treasures because
it’s all great.
When you were younger, what did you
want to be when you “grew up?”
I really have no idea. I remember when I was 15
or 16 and one of my teachers in high school said to
the class that you ought to have some idea of what I
wanted to do in life and I thought “you must be kidding,
I’m 16.” But it was way back and society was a
bit different back then. Some people plan ahead 20
years but many are influenced by what they do and
what they see.
What are some of your personal goals?
Now that I’m retired I plan to continue to teach at
Washington College of Law and AU where I’ve been
teaching for 19 years on a part time basis. I plan to
start doing mediation in the near future and to sit
part time in the various courts in the state.
Favorite movie or book?
The book that I read that impacted the most because
it was the first book where I somehow injected
myself into the book was “Germinal” by Emile Zola,
and it was about the mining community in France
and I can only characterize it by talking about the
stress of the book and it’s about the lines of the
underclass and the way they perceived the world and
the way they felt. It was the first time in a book where
I ever felt I was there. Of course there are other tracts
that had similar effects but they weren’t the first time.
That book had a lot of impact upon me.
Describe how you would most enjoy
spending a single day?
When I can, I like to give a certain amount of time
to reading. I’d like to listen to some music. I don’t
play although I tried to play a flute many years ago.
My wife and I travel a bit both within the U.S. and
abroad.
4 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 11-17, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com